BlogLore

(the one who started it all!)

I wonder why it's taken me so long to post, and then I think about what has all happened this past month. WHEW! I paused and thought about it yesterday when I read someone else's post as being "bored at home". While that may be me one day, it certainly isn' t in this season. And I guess I wouldn't have it any other way...

Having lived in this home for more years than any other (whoo hoo!). And after years of hard work, having finally paid it off...(celebrate!) NO MORTGAGE!! Most of the large home projects are complete...(plenty more to do, but I'm talking about tearing down walls, additions, and kitchen/bath remodels!) We tore down the old playset that was past its prime. For a year, or so, our children have learned to climb trees, swing from ropes and make their own "houses" in the underbrush at our property line. This spring one of them showed Daddy a book. HOW TO BUILD YOUR KIDS TREEHOUSE. Point taken. So our family has enjoyed looking at the photos, discussing plans, etc. NOT that OUR Daddy would need plans, but it has helped those of us less imaginative (smile) to visualize and point out those features we appreciate and those we do not. So last Friday we got a delivery of $$$ treated lumber. Bright and early Saturday morning, the whole crew was out to help.

SOME people weren't happy they had to wait their turn!

This bird was FOUND on the ground, we didn't knock him out of the tree, promise!

AND FINALLY......our turn!

Even Shakespeare lends his supervisory skills!
And, of course, everyone "needs" a snack!

As we went out the drive later that day, we looked back at the platform. (I said Part-1!)It was a smart looking start..I observed audibly. My husband filled in the details. Yeah, its 12x12. WHEW! Got a little carried away? I ask? I guess, he shrugs.

Stay tuned to see part two.

I wasn't able to post much these last few days, and here's why. My DH was on a Mission trip to the UK. He went to visit and minister with a group of wonderful people who are in various stages of restoration from the ravages of drug addiction. Betel is a worldwide organization dedicated to restoring homeless and substance addicted people to wholeness and new life.

In a word. It's church.

(some of the beautiful people at Betel)

My DH just completed his third trip there, and it was wonderful, it was awesome.

I was holding down the fort.

Now this is NOT the first time he has gone on a trip. In fact, it was his 5th. But Betel was his first, and it so changed his heart and life, that he's been compelled to return ever since. This ministry sits literally at the gates of hell and rescues people back from destruction. They live Proverbs 24:11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

I do wonder sometimes why God waited until we had children to stir his heart to go. I would have loved to have gone together during those long childless years. But no. So I have learned that in whatever state I find myself in, to be content. (not always,but I try) I have learned to find the fun in being the head of household for a short time. I am always glad, though , to relinquish it at the end. It's fun for awhile, but I do feel relief when there is someone else to share the decisions, discipline, drudgery, dialogue and dirt!

This was the first trip where everyone was above the age of five. Easy!

NOT!

A week and a half before he left, the range went out. Thanks to repair sites on the web, we were able to diagnose the problem and knew that a new part would be $200. Should we replace the aging range (14 years old..we bought it used. (I found a neat site where you can determine the age of your appliances) or purchase the part and hope it solves it? After checking at Lowe's scratch and dent, we checked on an average (YES, SELF-CLEANING IS A MUST) range. They start at $1200, because it was a slide-in..... whoops. Gulp. Yep, $200 isn't a bad risk on a part. Nosirree!

So we ordered the part and waited. Either my DH or my Daddy could replace it.

The morning he left the refrigerator broke, and the part for the range had not yet arrived (editors note: this was the writer's fault as the part had not been ordered it) Because it had done the same thing just two weeks before, we discussed the "what-if's". In the end it took seven days for it to be officially deemed unrepairable by the company.

Then what. This appliance went bad on the 5th anniversary of it's purchase. I spent awhile "talking" (read:put on hold) to someone in India, Pakistan, or Hong Kong..not sure where, but they understood my southern English much better than I understood theirs. Of course the number for customer service was not an 800#. Finally, after being dropped once, and placed on hold innumerable times, (ON MY DIME) I was transferred to someone at the corporate office (in GA)who offered a substantial "rebate" should I choose to purchase another of their marvelous refrigerators to replace mine. OK, I will consider that, and after making certain that I had received and read the rebate information, I ended the call. Great. Trouble was, and I understand their thinking here, I could not upgrade. I must purchase an equal or lesser unit. OK, how do you tell that, and make certain that you don't disqualify yourself, because features and model numbers have changed a bit in 5 years. So I called the store our company is dealing with on a few kitchens and asked them. Fortunately their factory rep. was in their office (God LOVES me) and approved a certain model as "equivalent". I wrote down his name-but the store would have to order it.

In fact no one, anywhere ,within a hundred mile radius, carried it in stock. It must be ordered from the warehouse. They had plenty, I was assured. It might even come by Friday! Wouldn't that be great, and then it would all be normal by the time the man of the house got back home.

Not.

So my DH returned on Sunday night, near midnight, and on Monday afternoon, installed the new fridge. Most everything is back to normal here.

I think, if I remember what normal is.